Plentiful Designs
Hey All,
My name is Kelly and I am the owner and designer for Plentiful Designs, formerly SoulFire Graphics.
After reminiscing on the earlier chapters of this studio’s life, I can tell you several things for free:
1. Being a one designer show can be as rewarding as it is challenging.
2. Burnout is real.
3. Research is free.
4. Stamina should not cost sleep.
And…
5. Failure is an upgrade in disguise.
My position as it was when I opened, having my hand in as many categories of art that I could at the time, showed me multiple facets of running a successful business. All of which didn’t have to coexist with each other to do so. It taught me how to evolve, how to become the next version of myself, so that I could continue creating without confusing the algorithm within an online shop.
This process taught me that being an artist didn’t mean that I had to know all of the schools of art, nor my way through art history to be considered legit. I found that I can find my way through trial and error. That I can find myself in the mediums I enjoy and my right to be my own master in my own time.
That’s where I am currently: embracing the next shift.
Regardless, my foundations lie in the creative field, specifically in the traditional arts and digital design. My credentials are not only through a deep history of hands-on capability but also realized through the state of New Jersey. I’ve held my Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing for instruction of Fine Arts and Education since 2008. However, the loss of our son stunted my ability to feel comfortable in classrooms afterwards.
Twelve years ago, when Plentiful Designs started, it was done in memory of my son who passed away from malpractice. I used it as a form of art therapy, where I could still function somewhere in the art world, creating for others and breaking the mold of where their possibilities lied.
Their projects gave me hope that I could continue on, for that I am eternally grateful. The process of creating and making art truly helped me live again. By 2013, our family grew again. Our second son made it despite his struggles early on. <3
***
During my journey of being a mother and shopkeeper, I’m honored to say I’ve worked with many amazing individuals. All of my clients have had incredible ideas over the years, of which have pushed me past my limits to help them achieve greatness. Thank you to each and every one of you.
Many of those projects proposed the need of digital painting, image correction or full scale custom illustration. Invitations quickly evolved from traditional to ticket form, while flyers evolved from their black and white notices to full fledged magazine worthy products for both schools and businesses. Fundraisers were presentable in full color for various print and electronic use which was my mainstay until my big break into the custom fabric design world.
There, the art of knowing how to create seamless prints became the main focus. I entered the pool when custom fabrics were a hot commodity back in 2016 in many types of schools of art as well. Over the years, I found that teaching my clients about the process and their options going forward helped them get exactly what they needed to stay ahead of schedule, no matter how involved the textile.
It was a wild, exciting time, learning the ins and outs of the custom fabric design world, for sure, but change was coming yet again. In 2017, I had my third child which inevitably slowed down production. That and a few health scares thereafter had me seriously considering stopping this endeavor. Back then. I truly was at a loss of what I should do.
***
Fast forward to the virtual days of the pandemic, I found a lot of my traffic stopped due to the entirety of the shut down. My shop that catered to those that enjoyed social activities and business elsewhere globally, needed a new element to represent to survive. Those were the days that Plentiful Designs side-stepped into user experiences, interfaces, websites, animations and other services for streamers on Twitch and YouTube alike. I even attempted a new look and name for the change in times, designing as SoulFire Graphics.
While it was a fun run, I have since returned to run this shop as Plentiful Designs. Artwork that had once been available through this shop such as digital flyers, worksheets, coloring pages, brochures, signage, ads of all social media platforms, tags, themed clip art, textile design (which can be located in my spoonflower shop as tested and approved seamless patterns, printable by their site and shipped directly to you here: https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/plentiful_designs) and more will begin showing up here again. All of my UX / UI designs, animated imagery, emotes, video editing for all social platforms, and other digitally enhanced items will remain in my shop as well. Custom work is available once again however the extreme turnaround speeds will only be available on Friday and Saturday.
Editable files will be added eventually and tagged as such.
Additional updates for this shop can be found on Plentiful Designs website here: https://plentifuldesigns.wixsite.com/customworkportfolio/blog
The website itself is currently in progress but will give an overview of what is going on, why I choose to add new files and what the future looks like for me now.
As a personal update, my family and I are doing well. We’re in the process of settling into our forever home, which we are honored to even be allowed to stay in. I have started another job as an ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) Therapist, of which a lot of my focus will be throughout the week and in posted projects and printables going forward. Please see my shop sections for details.
If you have any questions about anything at all, please feel free to send me a message.
Thank you for reading!
Have a good one,
Kelly
